Now is the time to choose a health plan. Shop now and find out if you qualify for financial help. Open Enrollment runs through Jan 31, 2021. GetCoveredNJ is the only place that you can apply for financial help to lower the cost of your monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs for health insurance. Learn how you can shop for a health plan. Browse health and dental plans to compare how much they cost. Before you shop for health coverage, find if you qualify for financial help to lower your costs. Find which plans have your doctors, and compare plans and prices. If you have a Marketplace plan now, you will enroll in 2021 coverage with GetCoveredNJ instead of HealthCare.gov. Learn about your new GetCoveredNJ account and your 2021 enrollment choices. If you had a health plan through HealthCare.gov in 2020, you will get a Form 1095-A in the mail in early 2021 for your taxes. Remember that changes in income, residence, or household size can affect your eligibility for financial help. Update your information when a change happens.
Winter Storm Prep Begins
NJ Budget Impacts School Aid
The $335 million spending increase for schools that was originally proposed during the Gov. Murphy's budget address in February has been scrapped, the governor said Tuesday during his budget address at SHI Stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway. The formula funding is part of Murphy’s $32.4 billion budget for the nine months beginning October 1st and will cause Merchantville to lose 11.5% of the 2020-21 funds originally promised. It includes $4 billion in borrowing and $1 billion in new taxes. The proposed budget cuts $89 million from 31 districts with budgets below the adequacy level.
State Officials Struggle with Loss of Recycling Markets
A decade ago, most towns required residents to separate their recyclables into multiple bins. But in an effort to boost recycling participation, many municipalities switched to a single-stream system, where everything is commingled in one bin, to be sorted later at recycling facilities and the public has become lazy. In hindsight, it’s turned out to be a significant problem because many recycling cans are now contaminated. Some towns have instituted a “tag and leave” program, leaving contaminated loads at the curb and tag them with an explanation for the homeowner when they can see plastic bags or Styrofoam or something else not allowed in your recycling. Studies show that’s the only thing that changes behavior. “Over the past 10 years New Jersey has really hit a recycling crisis,” said Randall Solomon, executive director of Sustainable Jersey. “I’d say we as a state and as a country — even the world — are at a critical juncture.”
NJ Issues Lantern Fly Alert
This is the time of the year when the female adult Spotted Lanternfly starts to lay egg masses. Locating and destroying egg masses, as well as destroying adult Spotted Lanternflies, can help prevent the spread of this invasive pest. For instructions on how to scrape and destroy egg masses, you can watch this video. An adult female Spotted Lanternfly can lay up to three egg masses during its life cycle, and each egg mass contains between 30 and 50 eggs. While the adult Spotted Lanternfly cannot survive the winter, the egg masses do survive and hatch in the spring. The Department of Agriculture is asking homeowners to help in the effort to curb this invasive pest. What can you do to help? Join The Battle to report, identify and manage to "Beat the Bug”. This insect is an excellent hitchhiker and is easily moved if no one is looking so, if you are in the quarantine area, please “Look Before You Leave.” You can get more information through this Penn State Extension and here are also some safe treatment options.
Chaos Forces DMV Extensions
On Thursday Gov. Murphy announced additional steps to take pressure off the overburdened Motor Vehicle Commission, once again extending deadlines and expiration dates. Since MVC offices reopened Tuesday, the locations have become more crowded and chaotic, with fights breaking out and people camping overnight on line. Criticism of the MVC and the governor has been building from lawmakers and public. All standard driver’s licenses, permits, IDs, vehicle registrations, inspections and temporary tags that expired between March 13th and May 31st have now been extended until September 30th. Drivers with licenses, permits, registrations, inspection stickers and temporary tags expiring between June 1st and August 31st have been extended until December 31st.
Resident Nominated by Murphy
Governor Phil Murphy today announced the nomination of Merchantville resident, Kevin D. Walsh, Esq., to serve as the fourth New Jersey State Comptroller. Walsh’s nomination is subject to advice and consent by the Senate and is for a six-year term. He will begin serving as Acting Comptroller on Monday, January 27. “As a dedicated public interest attorney, Kevin’s independent and thorough judgement make him an ideal fit to stand up for New Jersey taxpayers as our next State Comptroller,” said Governor Murphy. Walsh has spent the past two decades as a civil rights attorney and as the Executive Director of the Fair Share Housing Center, where he has led the enforcement of the Mount Laurel doctrine to promote racial and economic integration in New Jersey through the expansion of affordable housing. Walsh holds a Juris Doctorate from the Rutgers School of Law–Camden and has volunteered with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Camden, and with Build Jake’s Place, which helps construct inclusive playgrounds accessible to children and adults of all abilities.